Brown had similarly criticized the medical device tax bill at the Boston Biotech Conference in June, where he spoke before an assembled group of biotechnology executives.

“Right now, there is a complete breakdown between what’s happening at the FDA and what your needs are” Brown said. “It’s money, it’s time, it’s innovation. And right now, we’re losing out to competitors overseas.”

Brown, who is running for re-election in 2012, has been a vocal supporter of the medical technology industry. In March he helped relaunch a Senate medical technology caucus with Sen. Amy Kloubchar (D-Minn.). Both senators represent communities where the medical device business has sunk deep roots. Minnesota and Massachusetts combined are home to the U.S. headquarters of most of the top 10 medical device companies in the world, accounting for more than 100,000 jobs.

After a closed-door meeting with Covidien Brown learned how to use some the company’s surgical technology, practicing making incisions on a steak, the Sun Chronicle wrote.